No. 98. | V1 
from a single eye. On many tubers small tubers replace tne shoots, 
often twenty or thirty from a single eye. Upon cutting into many of 
the tubers the curious phenomena of potatoes growing within potatoes 
was observed, and in many cases these had cracked open the parent 
potato, and protruded from the surface. A careful examination 
showed that underground stems had developed from the axils of buds 
just under the surface or coincident with the surface of the potato, 
and penetrating the flesh of the potato had formed tubers at their ex- 
tremities ; that this development only took place when no shoots, or 
but few, had developed from the eye, and roots had developed ; that 
stems formed within the structure of the potato, recognized as such 
by the leaf scales, may penetrate the whole depth and appear at the 
opposite side, forming at their base underground stems bearing tubers, 
and when reaching the atmosphere forming true leaves, the roots be- 
ing external at the eye whence the shoots started. These in-potato 
stems are swollen and yam like, but are not structurally tubers. 
On July 24 eyes from these scalded potatues were planted. The 
eyes which had formed shoots came up well, while of the eyes that had 
formed tubers but two out of ten vegetated. On August 25 found that 
the eves which had no tubers had formed some small tubers, and in 
some of those which had tubers when put in the ground, and which 
did not vegetate, the tubers had enlarged, absorbing the whole sub- 
stance of the seed eye, but with netther roots nor leaf. 
13. It has been a general observation with us that rarely more than 
three or four eyes develop when a whole uninjured potato is used for 
seed. Injury to the eye, however, seems to cause many shoots to grow. 
On June 12 but a single shoot had formed from a whole potato; this 
was broken off, and on June 26 it was noticed that six shoots had 
sprung from the previously undeveloped eyes. 
14. On May 20, we planted in the garden several varieties of potatoes 
sent us for trial by Mr. M. F. Pierson, of Seneca Castle. The ground 
was clayey and not especially fertile, neither better nor worse, appar- 
ently, than the rest of our potato plats. The seed was cut to single 
eyes, of a large size. ‘The yield was as below : 
Merch. tubers. Small tubers. 
46 eyes Extra Early Peach Blow, yielded, 3 Ibs. 3 1-2 lbs. 
62 eyes Mammoth Pearl, yielded, 47 lbs. 5 1-4 lbs. 
39 eyes Doolittle’s Ontario, yielded, 23 3-4 lbs. > 3 1-4 lbs. 
78 eyes Extra Early Gem, yielded, 46 lbs. 8 1-4 lbs. 
40 eyes White Whipple, yielded, 26 lbs. 4 1-4 lbs. 
76 eyes White Star yielded, 45 Ibs. 4 1-4 lbs. 
After this presentation we may review the field somewhat, and ask 
what we have learned : 
From experiment 12 we find that single eyes are capable of bearing 
all the potatoes that can be expected to be grown in a hill. 
From experiment 13, we find indicated, and indeed very many paral- 
lel observations made at various times adds a considerable certainty, 
that in planting whole potatoes or half potatoes, but few eyes normally 
develop growth. The addition of eyes planted in one piece does not 
therefore necessarily produce equivalent increase of stalks or plants 
from the seed. Using whole potatoes for seed, if done with the ex- 
pectation of getting very abundant stalk, is therefore a waste, as the 
same potato cut properly to single eyes would produce greater results 
